Increasing the 5x5 weights while on cycle

[mcr]

I have been doing a 5x5 routine (Needsize's) for a couple of weeks now and yesterday was my first Test Enan jab.

I started off light and have been progressing the weights by 2.5kg each week. Feels challenging now, but still not to failure yet.

Have any other bros done 5x5 while on juice, and if so, did you stick strictly to increasing by 5lbs (or 2.5kg) each week, or did you find that you were able to increase by a lot more?

This is my first "real" cycle (I have done a var-only one before) so I am hoping for good strength gains - but I don't want to limit myself by only increasing the weight by 2.5kg/week. At the same time I don't want to do something dumb like putting the weight up by 10kg one week and then injuring myself.

Should I put it up by 5kg each week once the test starts to kick in? Or should I just put it up by as much as I can?

Any advice? Thanks. What do you guys do?

 

[wootoom]

im planning on switching to 5X5 in a couple months also.

 

[mcr]

im planning on switching to 5X5 in a couple months also.

I definitely recommend! I did it last year at about this time and gained a heap of strength and mass. I have been doing Westside since then while cutting but feel like I need a change, plus want to focus on hypertrophy more while bulking. Should be interesting to see how well it works while on juice. Doing this split:

Mon - Chest, abs
Wed - Shoulders, back
Fri - Arms
Sun - Legs

Huge thanks to needsize of course! The split is REALLY nice and it's great to give some prioritisation to arms.

 

[needsize]

if its feeling really easy, go up to 10lbs per week, but if its pretty challenging, stick to the 5lb increments, it will really add up

 

[wnt2bBeast]

if its feeling really easy, go up to 10lbs per week, but if its pretty challenging, stick to the 5lb increments, it will really add up

yep..also nothing wrong with taking a 10 lb jump and testing yourself..if you fail slightly chances are the following week you will get it..net net you still did a 5lb/wk jump...but sometimes you hit your stride and do 10 (get em all) then add 5 the following week and get that too..and just keep on trucking

 

[eat big]

i agree with them, although i do not juice, towards the beginning i could jump up 10lbs now i only go up 5 bc its more challenging..good luck

 

[Strengths-apprentice]

Hey i am doing the 5X5 program right now no gear at this time. My thinking is to continue with the 5lbs increments through out the cycle.
assuming that you started your cycle when you were near the peak of your existing 5X5 program
1) this gives your liagments time to adapt to the addtional poundage on the bar as well as the extra weight your carring as a result of the your cycle.

2) when you finish your cycle there won't be such a dramatic decrease in strength which could result in you stopping or halting your training becasue of frustration as you might have become smaller and weaker.

I see the use of gear as a way to recover faster and to continue progressing when you have hit a plateau.
If you cycle for 12 weeks and are able to continue with 5lb increases that is an addtional 60 pounds each lift. that is pretty good at any starting poundage.
225 + 60 equal 285 bench. with the 5lb increments you will most likely have energy and strength in reserve and may be able to continue on with program when the cycle ends with little or no decrease in poundage.

If you go balls to wall and bump up the poundage to 10lb a week that 120 pounds over 3 month 225+120 = 345 bench. theoretically you will have reached your limits and most like all of the extra test from the cycle.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[Synpax]

Damnit I just typed this thing up for you and it crashed.

Anyway, rather than just incrementing weights up, re-do your scheduele so you are not on a 7 day workout cycle but a 3 or 4 day workout cycle. I'm natural and on a 4 day cycle. I increment slowly and am probably going to start using platemates (2.5 lbs) on my bench work and deads soon.

My cycle looks like this now (I do endurance muscle work at night - 1 set of crunches/pushups/chins and add to it each week):
Day 1 - Chest/Tri/Forarms
Day 2 - Back/Bi/Abs heavy
Day 3 - LEgs/Delts/Forarms
Day 4 - Rest

When I go on, I'm going to drop to 2 or 3 days. Something like
Day 1 - Chest/Tri/Legs/Forarms
Day 2 - Back/Bi/Delts/Abs Heavy
Day 3 - Rest